Radar apparatus and method for avoiding radio interference

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a radar apparatus includes a signal processing device that has a first circuit, a second circuit and a transmitter. The first circuit is configured to determine whether or not there is a radio interference based on a radio signal received via an antenna. The second circuit is configured to, when the first circuit determines that there is the radio interference, select a predetermined pulse pattern based on an avoiding function of a wireless communication device having the avoiding function of the radio interference, the predetermined pulse pattern being separately defined from a pulse pattern of transmission processing for operating a radar. The transmitter is configured to transmit from the antenna a radio signal matching the pulse pattern selected by the second circuit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radar apparatus comprising:
 a pulse pattern table storing a plurality of pulse patterns of different types and separately defined from a pulse pattern of transmission processing for operating a radar, and a radio interference countermeasure table indicating validity of the types of the plurality of pulse patterns for radio interference; 
 a first circuit configured to determine whether or not there is a radio interference based on a radio signal received via an antenna; 
 a second circuit configured to determine that there is the radio interference, and select a predetermined pulse pattern from the plurality of pulse patterns stored in the pulse pattern table and the radio interference countermeasure table based on an avoiding function of a wireless communication device having the avoiding function of the radio interference; and 
 a transmitter configured to transmit from the antenna a radio signal matching the pulse pattern selected by the second circuit. 
 
     
     
       2. The radar apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a third circuit configured to, when the first circuit determines that there is not the radio interference after the radio signal matching the pulse pattern transmitted by the transmitter is transmitted, set the pulse pattern as a valid pulse pattern on the avoiding function of the radio interference. 
     
     
       3. The radar apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the transmitter transmits the radio signal matching the valid pulse pattern on a regular basis. 
     
     
       4. The radar apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first circuit determines whether or not there is the radio interference per elevation angle and azimuth angle of the antenna during the determination. 
     
     
       5. The radar apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the transmitter transmits the radio signal from the antenna at the elevation angle and the azimuth angle at which the first circuit has determined that there is the radio interference, the radio signal matching the pulse pattern selected by the second circuit. 
     
     
       6. The radar apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second circuit changes the predetermined pulse pattern until the first circuit determines that there is not the radio interference, and outputs the predetermined pulse pattern to the transmitter. 
     
     
       7. The radar apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth circuit configured to update the predetermined pulse pattern. 
     
     
       8. The radar apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the first circuit determines whether or not there is the radio interference per elevation angle and azimuth angle of the antenna during the determination, and 
 the third circuit sets the valid pulse pattern per elevation angle and azimuth angle of the antenna. 
 
     
     
       9. The radar apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the transmitter transmits the radio signal matching the valid pulse pattern per elevation angle and azimuth angle of the antenna on a regular basis. 
     
     
       10. The radar apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first circuit detects a determination level of the radio signal received via the antenna during determination processing on the avoiding function of the radio interference, and determines whether or not there is the radio interference based on a fluctuation range in a distance direction or a time direction of the determination level. 
     
     
       11. A radar apparatus comprising:
 a pulse pattern table storing a plurality of pulse patterns of different types and separately defined from a pulse pattern of transmission processing for operating a radar, and a radio interference countermeasure table indicating validity of the types of the plurality of pulse patterns for radio interference; 
 a selecting circuit configured to, during transmission processing on an avoiding function of a radio interference, select a predetermined pulse pattern from the plurality of pulse patterns stored in the pulse pattern table and the radio interference countermeasure table; and 
 a transmitter configured to transmit from an antenna a radio signal matching the pulse pattern selected by the selecting circuit. 
 
     
     
       12. The radar apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 during the transmission processing on the avoiding function of the radio interference, the selecting circuit sequentially or arbitrarily selects a pulse pattern from the plurality of pulse patterns stored in the pulse pattern table, and 
 the transmitter transmits from the antenna the radio signal matching the pulse pattern selected by the selecting circuit. 
 
     
     
       13. A method for avoiding a radio interference applied to a radar apparatus, the method comprising:
 storing, in a pulse pattern table, a plurality of pulse patterns of different types and separately defined from a pulse pattern of transmission processing for operating a radar, and storing, in a radio interference countermeasure table, validity of the types of the plurality of pulse patterns for radio interference; 
 determining whether or not there is a radio interference based on a radio signal received via an antenna; 
 when determining that there is the radio interference, selecting a predetermined pulse pattern from the plurality of pulse patterns stored in the pulse pattern table and the radio interference countermeasure table based on an avoiding function of a wireless communication device having the avoiding function of the radio interference; and 
 transmitting from the antenna the radio signal matching the selected pulse pattern. 
 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising setting the transmitted pulse pattern as a valid pulse pattern on the avoiding function of the radio interference when the determining whether or not there is the radio interference determines that there is not the radio interference after the transmission of the transmitting.